Buckeye State Blog - Secretary Of State Race

Let RAB sponsor Brian Kirk know what he's sponsoring...

jump23 — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 10:49:31 -0700

It seems that RAB has a single sponsor for the website, a Remax real estate agent named Brian Kirk. While I'm sure Mr. Kirk is a decent man (though his ad lists himself as "right" thinking), I think it would be appropriate to let him know that he is sponsoring this most repulsive attack on the SOS' son. Contact info (all from his own website):

Website: www.briankirk.com
Toll Free Direct: 800-804-4982
Cell: 216-376-1991
Email: brian@briankirk.com
Fax: 440-925-6181

PLEASE BE POLITE WHEN YOU CALL! Mr. Kirk is not the enemy here. I would suggest calmly explaining to Mr. Kirk or whomever you talk to about how Matt's attacks on politicians' children reflects poorly upon him and his business.

Let us know how your call went in the comments - thanks.

SOS/Bennett Hearing Moved to April 9th

jump23 — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 05:44:33 -0700

From the Secretary of State's Office:

For Immediate Release

Columbus, OH - March 29, 2007 - The state's chief elections officer, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner announced today that the hearing to address the removal of Robert Bennett, the remaining Cuyahoga County Board of Elections member, from his post will be delayed by one week.

Hearing officer William Owen, the first assistant prosecuting attorney of Delaware County, notified Secretary Brunner today that the hearing on the complaint against Bennett will be continued to Monday, April 9 at 9:00 a.m. at Euclid City Hall Council Chambers, 585 E. 222nd St., Euclid in Cuyahoga County.

Bennett, now represented by legal counsel from Cincinnati and Columbus, hired by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason at Bennett's request.

Today, Bennett's attorneys filed suit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court to enjoin the Secretary of State from proceeding against Bennett and to declare the law allowing for his removal unconstitutional. By agreement of the parties the April 2nd hearing was postponed til April 9.

The assigned judge in the Franklin County matter is out of town until next week, and the status and scheduling of that litigation may be more clear at that time.

--30--

Media contacts:

Patrick Gallaway, Director of Communications (614) 752-2450

Jeff Ortega, Assistant Director of Communications-Media (614) 466-0473.

Blackwell doles out ~80K in 11th-hour bonuses

zygela — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:23:13 -0700

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070116/DEVELOPINGNEWS/301160013

Blackwell To Hand Over Keys After Midnight Sunday

OhioNative — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 09:23:01 -0700

More accounts of Blackwell's obstruction throughout the transition reported. Promoted from the forums.

How Silly is This. What's He Trying to Prove? No Wonder Big, Bold Kenny Boy Was Thumped by Ohio Voters

Ken "Blackeye" Blackwell is leaving Ohioans with a bad taste in their mouths as he continues to snub Jennifer Brunner, his successor and the first woman to hold the post of chief elections officer, after she and her team made every attempt to create a smooth transition from one administration to another but found it to be more of an obstacle course than a paved highway.

In stark contrast to the quotes in Friday's Columbus Dispatch by outgoing chief spokesman Carlo Loparo that the Blackwell crew has "made any accommodation requested — except ones they deemed unreasonable, such as putting Brunner’s employees on the payroll early," the reality of Blackeye's directives were to his staff was to shortchange the Brunner team at every turn. Mr. Loparo's comments are designed to shroud their real actions in a cloak of respectability.

In fact, Blackwell ordered his staff not to meet with the Brunner transition team since early on, insiders tell me. Blackwell, rude and disrespectful to the end, refused to meet with Brunner himself until nearly 30 days after she beat the Republican candidate, Greg Hartmann, a Texas political operative, by more than one-half million votes.

He ordered Monty Lobb, his assistant SOS and Cassandra Hicks, chief of staff, not to accommodate the Brunner team in any way. From providing staff emails to then blocking them, Blackeye, who resides and works from Cincinnati, told his Columbus staff to stiff arm the Brunner team, who has repeatedly tried to give current staff every opportunity to make a case as to why they should be retained. Brunner could have made a clean sweep but instead chose to retain many whose skills and experience in their fields made them a clear choice for retention.

About 15 of the 60 or so unclassified workers, despite repeated opportunities to contact the Brunner team, never once did so. They are now claiming foul, but it's too late due to their pigheadedness to do the right thing.

On two occasions, yesterday, Thursday, and now this coming Sunday, Blackeye has ordered his apostles to scrub Brunner team members from even taking a look-see at the office space they will officially take over Monday morning, their first day on the job.

Blackeye and Lobb now say they will personally turn over the keys of the kingdom in The Borden Building in Columbus at one minute past midnight this Sunday. They may be handing them over to Tom Worley, Bruner's new chief of staff, or someone else, but if he expects Jennifer to be there herself, he will have made the trip from Cincinnati for naught. Unfortunately, Secretary-of-State-Elect Brunner will not be present to receive the keys to the kingdom at such a silly and late hour because she and her husband Rick will be cheering on the Buckeyes in Arizona, where they traveled with others as part of the delegation organized by The Ohio State University.

Why Blackeye has chosen to act in such a dishonorable and disrespectable manner is open to speculation. But what ever the reason, and it tries one credulity to come up with a plausible excuse that remotely makes sense, he will confirm to voters in his final hours of state service why they were right to send him packing in favor of the tolerant, level-headed and honorable Ted Strickland.

Part of his sour grapes, sore loser attitude may come from the fact that he and his crew had grand visions of future jobs in the governor's office dancing in their heads and were completely devastated when he was devastated at the polls. Not only will they not be moving up, but now they are moving out, where they'll have a chance to polish their resumes and go find their true value in the private marketplace.

Let us not shed any tears for Blackeye or his apostles. He is wealthy beyond reason and won't have to worry about where is next meal is coming from.

Watch Jennifer Clean Whats-His-Name's Clock

jump23 — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 22:12:03 -0700

Courtesy of the Cleveland City Club (thank you!)

Jennifer Cleans Greg's Clock

As the kids say, "heh".

You can watch the entire debate here .

The campaign is trying to reach $208K in ActBlue contributions ($208K for a fair 2008 election).�� Feel free to give here .

Thanks!

Brunner wins Cincinnati Enquirer endorsement!

ds022b — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 08:25:54 -0700

Not surprisingly they play nice with the semi-local boy but all-in-all a pretty glowing assesment.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/EDIT01/610310312/1090

Liveblog Q&A With Jennifer Brunner

Jennifer Brunner for Ohio SOS — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 07:46:31 -0700

Have you ever wanted to ask Jennifer a question? Perhaps about voting, the voter ID requirements or the state of elections in Ohio? Here is your chance. Jennifer will be Live-Blogging on Tuesday at 11AM on DailyKos. To participate, just go to www.jenniferbrunner.com/liveblog at 11AM. You can submit a question early at liveblogquestions@jenniferbrunner.com. This is your chance to talk to Ohio's next secretary of state!

If you have any questions, please send them to pete@jenniferbrunner.com. Thank you!

Our Campaign Is Under Attack

Jennifer Brunner for Ohio SOS — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:07:24 -0700

My name is Jennifer Brunner, and I am running to become Ohio��s next Secretary of State. The focus of my campaign is to restore free, fair, open and honest elections for all Ohioans. I know that the cause of ��fair elections�� is important to many of you, and that Ohio is a priority as we all look to the 2008 presidential election.

As a former judge, elections board member and elections lawyer, I understand what free, fair, open and honest elections are all about. Ken Blackwell��s partisan and underhanded tactics as Secretary of State are outrageous and have hurt both Ohio��s reputation and our democracy.

I am running to change that.

My opponent has no statewide name recognition, and in his first commercial he has chosen to attack my judicial record in a gross and misleading way. Our campaign has already filed an Ohio Elections Commission complaint for false statements made in connection with his first negative commercial. Hartmann��s ad is an attempt to distort the facts and to divert attention from his dismal lack of experience and problematic management of the Hamilton County Clerk of Court��s office so that voters will be distracted from the exceptional experience and qualifications I will bring to Ohio as Secretary of State.

What You Can Do:

1) If you know anyone in Ohio, especially if they are undecided or may not know who I am, please share my campaign commercial with them.
2) Become a virtual phonebanker. You can stay in the comfort of your home and make phone calls from anywhere to help us win. It��s easy to signup and participate.
3) Making a contribution (of any size) is an important way you can help as well.
I sincerely appreciate the help of everyone, both in Ohio and beyond, as we strive to restore fair and honest elections to the state of Ohio. Your help and participation is a part of that process, and I am very grateful for your support.

Jennifer Brunner
Democratic Candidate
Ohio Secretary of State
www.jenniferbrunner.com

Bad Moon Rising (In Ohio): Election Honesty Again At Issue

OhioNative — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 09:44:09 -0700

��Protecting our vote in Ohio,�� a DailyKos post by Jerry Springer, one successful Ohioan who whose veracity and insight on political matters is routinely denigrated or discounted based on the antics that take place on his popular ��Jerry Springer Show,�� is right on the money, warning everyone that Ohio��s elections may be as dishonest this year as they were in 2004. Here��s the post: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/23/92721/084

The Old Farmer��s Almanac (OFA), since it was first published in 1792 during George Washington��s second term as president, has been considered by many, especially farmers, to be an accurate source of astronomical events like setting suns and rising moons.

In Ohio this election year, while the OLF doesn��t talk about electoral politics, voters and taxpayers should be forewarned that a bad moon is rising, an especially apt metaphor for the kinds of election shenanigans that helped put Mr. Bush back in the white and are being repeated again this election cycle by Ken Blackwell, the out-going Republican secretary of state who served as Ohio co-chair of the Bush/Cheney campaign and who is running for governor this year.

This election season, the signs of how good or bad our election system is going are already starting to reveal themselves, as Springer is warning Ohioans to look out for in his post.

In Ohio, the former Midwest industrial giant the nation has again ranked as a key bellwether battleground state to watch, the signs of a bad moon rising are starting to appear like measles on a child.

The election cycle measles are apparent in Ohio newspaper stories about potential election-system dangers contained in 1) a study commissioned by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, 2) the ��absentee-ballot mis-labeling�� SNAFU that involved more than 5,000 ballots, 3) the matter of several boards of election not correctly posting the right amount of postage voters need to return them, 4) a story (which has yet to be proven but given past performance should not be discounted) of Mr. Blackwell attempting to surreptitiously purge voter roles, 5) the new voter identify requirements approved by a Republican-controlled legislature that promises to force many other-wise eligible voters into casting provisional ballots and 6) the real-world differences between machines that scan optical ballots versus electronic machines with no paper ballot audit trails.

On this last issue, electronic voting machines, which 47 of Ohio��s 88 counties are using this year, an article appearing in the October edition of the conservative magazine ��The Economist�� shows how the wrong kind of voting machines could bring chaos to the mid-term elections.

"The fact that most election officials are unpaid volunteers, very often elderly and with little or no training, also caused difficulties. At any rate, with a touch-screen system the paper-trail is produced by the machine, and so is only as good as the machine. And the machines, it also turns out, may be vulnerable to tampering."

"In September three scientists at Princeton University got hold of the most popular touch-screen model and took it and its software to bits. They found serious flaws allowing a competent hacker to infect the machine with a program to transfer votes from one candidate to another. Such a change could be undetectable without a recount (assuming one were possible), and the program could be introduced into the machine far in advance by anyone having access to the machine's memory-card reader for as little as a minute. The readers are protected by a lock, but the lock is a standard one, and keys can be bought on the internet: besides, the keys circulate among election officials. And the researchers found that their program could be spread from machine to machine via the memory-cards. Voting-machine companies make things worse by keeping their software secret: were it published, security experts would be able to assess it and recommend fixes."

What are solutions to prevent electioneering fraud, as many contend happened in Ohio under Blackwell��s direction in 2004 from occurring again? The authors identify three easy fixes:

"The solutions are not hard to find: a wholesale switch to paper ballots and optical scanners; more training for election officials; and open access to machine software. But it is too late for any of that this time��and that is a scandal."

Link http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8028608

Another solution to restoring trust, confidence and integrity to Ohio elections is within reach of Ohio voters. That solution comes in the form of Jennifer Brunner, Democratic candidate for secretary of state, who has vowed to take politics out of the chief election��s office by being impartial, fair, open and honest, four qualities Mr. Blackwell and his Republican prot√�g√� Greg Hartmann of Texas have not and will not do. Keep in mind that Hartmann, who is new to Ohio and who is good friend of Karl Rover, Dick Cheney and other wealthy Republicans, has repeatedly said that Ohio's election system is "one of the best in the nation." Where has he been for the last two election cycles? Obviously, not paying attention to the system he wants to run.

For more on Brunner and why she is the right person for the right job at the right time, visit her site at : www.jenniferbrunner.com

To learn why Ohioans should not elect her opponent, Hartmann, who has worked to keep his arrest record, false job application and failure to pay court-ordered debts hidden from voter��s view and who thinks Ohio's election sysem is "one of the best in the country," go here: http://www.truthaboutgreghartmann.com/criminal.htm

Greg Hartmann, Desperate and Deadbeat in Ohio, Refuses to Pay his Pepsi Tab

OhioNative — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 20:52:50 -0700

Republican secretary of state candidate Greg Hartmann , a Texan living in Ohio, finds himself backpeddling again after The Dayton Daily News reported that he has not and will not pay his debt to Pepsi, which dates back to the early 1990s.

In the second article that reveals information Hartmann has worked hard to keep Ohio voters from knowing just weeks before they go to the polls to select their next secretary of state, Laura Bischoff, a veteran statehouse reporter who knows a story when she smells one, allowed Hartmann to hang himself with his own rope.

So, here we go again. What is it with Republicans like Hartmann who tell everyone else to demonstrate ��personal responsibility�� but who shirk their own responsibilities, especially when it comes to debts they owe because they were found guilty of violating the law?

We learn from the Dayton Daily News that Greg Hartman, the son of a rich and powerful Dallas attorney, his father Robin P. Hartmann, a friend and confidant of Republicans like Karl Rove and Dick Cheney who he represented on a residency matter in 2000, has said he will not pay a debt to Pepsi, the giant soda pop company, that he incurred in California in a lawsuit that named him and his company and that both lost. The California court ordered Hartmann to pony up about $15,000 in 1992. The debt has now grown to over $29,000, after years of Hartmann refusing to pay it.

Although this is the latest example of his derelict behavior, which is even more troubling given that he is a former prosecutor who as a ��friend of law enforcement�� has promised he will hunt down and jail would-be vote fraudsters, it is not the first time Mr. Hartmann has violated the law, been been convicted and then ran away like a deadbeat dad from his own legal and financial responsibilities.

Researchers have only recently uncovered court documents from North Carolina and Virginia showing Hartmann was arrested for a non-traffic violation, for which he was convicted and fined but has yet to pay the fine after all these years.

With the revelation contained in this story about saying he will not pay this debt owed to Pepsi, Ohio voters need to ask themselves why they would want someone who hides his records and does not pay his debts to be their secretary of state?

Haven��t we lost enough trust and integrity in our elections under eight years under Ken Blackwell? Aren��t we seeing already this election cycle stories about mis-labeled ballots, not enough postage for absentee ballots to be returned, Blackwell foot-dragging again on giving boards of election the clear guidance they need to perform their important duties?

Hartmann, who likes to sell himself as young and energetic, has little legal experience and absolutely no election law experience in reality. Because these are two key requisites for the important job of running imparital, fair and accurate elections, Ohioans don��t need someone who requires on-the-job-training, as Hartmann clearly does.

Of the four candidates running this year for the office, it appears that Jennifer Brunner has it all: experience, qualifications and commitment to restore trust in Ohio��s election process. Her leadership experience, earned as a twice-elected common pleas court judge in Franklin County, and management skill set, learned after years of working in various capacities in the Ohio secretary's office under Sherrod Brown, are what Ohio needs to uphold Ohio values for open, honest, impartial and accurate elections.

In 1993, when Hartmann's California close encounters of the legal kind happened, Pepsi's slogan was "Be Young, Have Fun, Drink Pepsi." If Hartmann's pattern of playing fast and loose with the law and not owning up to his debts would have been used for Pepsi's slogan, it might have been something like this: "Be Young, Have Fun, Leave the State, Don't Pay Your Debts, Run for Office, Hide Your Record from Voters, Lie on Job Applications, Favor Your Friends, Launch Attack Commercials, Loose the Election." Hey, Greg, your Pepsi debt is "The Real Thing."

To read the DDN story, here it is: www.daytondailynews.com

To see what else Hartmann has been hiding from Ohio voters, check out his "record" of accomplishments here: http://www.truthaboutgreghartmann.com/criminal.htm

Dayton Daily: Hartmann Negligent With Ohioans SS#s

jump23 — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 08:35:40 -0700

From the Dayton Daily News:

...Hartmann left thousands of sensitive documents on his Web site for years despite complaints that the practice could subject people to ID theft.
...
Shortly after Hartmann became clerk job, at least four people e-mailed his office with concerns that online documents could put people at risk for identity theft.

Hartmann, a former criminal prosecutor, kept the documents online, and 10 months later appointed a task force to study the issue. He said others were weighing in on the matter and he wanted to involve attorneys and the courts in deciding how to handle it.

Did Ken Blackwell and Greg take the same class or something? This lack of accountability is pathetic.

By fall 2004, the Blue Ash Police Department in suburban Cincinnati told Hartmann that several suspects had told police how easily they were able to "steal" public information from the clerk's Web site to create new identities.

One man knew of arrest warrants for him so he went to Hartmann's site, looked up someone's traffic ticket and made a new fake ID, Blue Ash Police Sgt. Joe Boyatt wrote to Hartmann.

The man used the false ID to steal a car off a dealer's lot and withdraw $8,500 from another person's bank account before being arrested in Florida, Boyatt said.

Blue Ash cops told Hartmann how during a routine traffic stop they stumbled upon an identity theft ring that led back to the clerk's Web site.

Vote for Jennifer Brunner

Show her some love here

Hartmann can't get me off his email list.

Muffet — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:34:02 -0700

Hartmann has been sending blast emails out every Friday afternoon. I asked to be removed from the list.

Here is the response.

You have requested to be removed from our email list; however we do not have these emails in our database. Do you perhaps have another email address that forwards other messages you receive? If so, please send us those addresses and we will take them off our list. Thank you.

Bobby Kovey

Political Director

Hartmann for Ohio

614.226.5854 - mobile

614.358.0796 -office

www.GregHartmann.com

I responded that the only email of mine they could have is my office, as I am registered to use the clerk of court's data base.

Anybody who is more computer savvy know how they got my email address and why they can't remove me?

Hartmann locks all court documents

Muffet — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 06:54:05 -0700

Hamilton County, Ohio, clerk of courts has locked all access to all court documents on the website.

Public Access to Court Documents Temporarily Suspended

As a lawyer, I use the site all the time.�� As a lawyer, I can create a portfolio and still get access to my cases. (It's a pain to have to do it.)�� Previously, I could also do some preliminary investigation of other cases, at least to find out if similar cases had been filed before, etc.�� No more.�� Everything is locked down to the public.�� Everything.�� Investigations into litigation will require a trip to the courthouse with a request for access to the actual folder.�� Not a pleasant exercise, I assure you, especially since you won't even know what the case involves until you get your grubby little hands on it.

I am all for privacy.�� This, however, is ridiculous.�� This is supposed to be a public records site.�� It's not anymore.

Funny that a couple of days after the site was locked down by Hartmann, I got an email from him, telling me about his run for secretary of state.�� I've never emailed him.�� Did he send an email to all attorneys?�� Did he send the email to all who have used "his" site in the past?�� I wonder what else is going on during this "temporary suspension."

Brunner Video on Blackwell's SS Incompetence

staff — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 09:47:17 -0700

OPD gets multimedia With Jennifer Brunner talking about Blackwell's failure as SoS